IREF Europe

Can Czech Households Pay More for Healthcare – And How Much?

2026-09-12T17:07:25Z

The Czech healthcare system is under structural pressure. With 85% of expenditure financed through compulsory public insurance tied to payroll contributions, demographic ageing creates a double bind: rising demand for…

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National Healthcare Systems in Europe

2026-09-12T16:15:20Z

This paper investigates the financial sustainability of predominantly public healthcare systems in Europe, using Czechia as a case study. It combines a systematic review of 39 empirical studies on the…

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Javier Milei’s Shock Therapy

2026-09-13T17:57:12Z

This policy paper analyzes Javier Milei’s shock therapy in Argentina as a response to chronic inflation, fiscal disorder, institutional weakness, and collapsing trust in economic policy. It examines the preconditions…

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Universities and the Tyranny of the Status Quo

2026-09-09T10:20:17Z

Public universities suffer from a serious disease: what Milton and Rose Friedman called the tyranny of the status quo. Public universities are direct beneficiaries of central government subsidies that cover…

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The Technical and Economic Nature of a Lengthened Production Structure

2026-07-12T12:34:00Z

Canonical Austrian business cycle theory holds that a lower rate of interest lengthens the structure of production. Fillieule (2007) derives the opposite conclusion: the average period of production rises with…

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Why Do Central Bank Economists Listen to Some Countries More Than Others?

2026-07-08T09:07:50Z

When central banks make decisions about inflation, interest rates, or financial stability, they rely heavily on economic research. But where does that research come from? And whose ideas end up…

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Has the Euro Really Brought Europe Closer Together?

2026-07-08T08:27:09Z

One of the main promises behind the euro was economic convergence. By sharing a common currency, European economies were expected to become more alike over time, making a single monetary…

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Did ECB Policy Make Germany’s Banking System More Resilient?

2026-07-08T08:09:37Z

For nearly two decades, the European Central Bank has relied on exceptionally low interest rates, massive asset purchases, and generous lending programs to support the economy. These policies were designed…

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Monetary Policy Transmission and Bank Resilience in Germany

2026-05-25T13:01:55Z

Monetary policy changes the stability of German banks differently based on their ownership and business goals. Existing literature shows that monetary policies stabilize markets but can also encourage institutions to…

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The Geography of Central Bank Research

2026-05-13T11:58:24Z

Central banks influence economic debate through research and citations. This paper studies whether citation patterns reflect past colonial ties or present currency hierarchies. Using a bibliometric dataset of 334,750 economics…

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